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Chapter 16 - In the Mirror of Darkness

Summary

Rand, Loial, and Hurin ride through the desolate stone to a monument that Loial identifies as a twisted reflection of Artur Hawkwing's spire from a possible world where the Trollocs won, revealing the nature of these 'worlds that might be' as reflections of reality. Rand rides ahead to investigate screams and encounters Selene, a beautiful woman from Cairhien who is trapped in this world, saving her from a grolm with an arrow to the eye. Selene joins them, claiming to be able to help them return home via a Portal Stone near the mountains, but Rand insists they must continue to follow Padan Fain's trail for the Horn of Valere, leading them on when a pack of grolms appears behind them.

Characters

  • Rand / Rand al'Thor (my Lord, Lord Rand) — Rand rides with Loial and Hurin, confronting a spectral Ba'alzamon earlier and now dealing with the disorienting nature of the stone. He gallops to a monument, recognizes the twisted inscription, and then sprints to save Selene from a grolm, using the void to shoot its eye. He binds his hand with Selene's ointment, refuses her suggestion to use a Portal Stone to leave, and orders Hurin to follow the trail as grolms approach.
  • Hurin (my Lord, the sniffer) — Hurin follows the faint scent trail of the Darkfriends through the stone, notes the strange appearance of the spire, and becomes uneasily silent. He grins awkwardly at Selene's attention and later reports that the trail is angling west as they ride.
  • Loial (alantin, Builder) — Loial questions the identity of the monument and explains the concept of 'worlds that might be' to Rand. He rides with Selene, sharing historical knowledge about the Ways and the Portal Stones, and later excuses himself so Rand can ride with Selene.
  • Red — Red carries Rand through the landscape, gallops up the mound to the monument, and stands alongside Selene's mare while Rand speaks with her.
  • Selene — Selene is a tall, beautiful woman from Cairhien trapped in the stone world. She saves herself from a grolm, rides with Rand and his companions, and claims she can return to her home if taken to a Portal Stone, though Rand suspects she has hidden depths regarding the One Power.